As the morning sun first peeks through the clouds above Cambridge, the staff at Smuggler's Notch Resort get the mountain ready for the day ahead. It's a routine that has been going strong for the past 60 years.

Over those years, there's been a few changes but some things and faces have remained.

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Bud Conger has been skiing at Smuggler's Notch for 59 of those seasons, only missing one due to his service in the Korean War.

For 52 years, he's been a staple in the ski program, and to this day, still teaches lessons.

"He's always the first one dressed, the first one out there ready to go teach," fellow ski instructor Glen Findholt said.

Conger is 85 years old. He began teaching in 1964 and hasn't taken a season off.

"Knowing that he's not quite 20 years older than I am and still doing it, it's really hard to be other than inspired by him," fellow ski instructor Sherm White said.

Two generations down the line, Conger's dedication to the sport has inspired his grandson to follow in his tracks.

"He can still rip down a black diamond like someone who's been skiing over 50 years, it's pretty incredible," Brendan Ketcham said of his grandfather.

Ketcham has only been instructing at Smuggler's for the last five seasons, but growing up alongside Conger, he's confident he's in the business for the long haul.

"My aspirations to be a teacher of high-level lessons," he said. "I feel like I have high standards to live up to."

Those high standards are what translates into effortless instructions that continues to teach generations of new skiers.

"He's a riot," first-time student Karrie McKuster said. "He's very good at what he does and is not afraid to tell me I'm not doing it right either."

McKuster took a lesson while on vacation with her family. In just one afternoon, not only did she say her skiing improved, but she could tell what's been the driving force behind Conger's decades of teaching.

"You can tell, he loves it and really enjoys it," she said. "I hope to God I'm skiing as long as he is."

To Conger, he's just doing what he loves, plain and simple. To his students and colleagues, he's an inspiration, proving that skiing is a life-long sport.

"He gives us hope," fellow instructor Randy Drapper said. "Bud is a treasure, we're just lucky enough to have him at Smuggler's Notch."